the hammer; but he had the faculty of making folks
long to get possession of a lot of old junk and inducing a couple
of bigwigs to bid against each other on things they had no earthly
use for, simply to show that money was no object to them. And he
managed to dispose of everything at all auctions at which he
served.

Once only did it seem to go badly for Lars, and that was at Sven
Oesterby's, at Bergvik. There was a fine big house, with all its
furnishings up for sale. Many people had assembled, and though late
in the autumn the weather was so mild that the auction could be
held out of doors; yet the sales were almost negligible. Lars could
not make the people take any interest in the wares, or get them to
bid. It looked as though it would go no better for him than it had
gone for Joens of Kisterud the day Lars had to take up the hammer to
help him out.

Lars Gunnarson, however, had no desire to turn his work over to
another. He tried instead to find out what it was that seemed to be
distracting the attention of the people and keeping them from
making purchases. Nor was he long getting at the cause of it.

Lars had mounted a table, that every one might see what he had to
offer, and from this point of vantage he soon discovered that the
newly created emperor, who lived in the little but close to Falla
and had been a day labourer all his life, moved about in the crowd.
Lars saw him bowing and smiling to right and left, and letting
people examine his stars and his stick, and, at every turn, he had
a long line of youngsters at his heels. Nor were older folks above
bandying words with him. No wonder the auction went badly, with a
grand monarch like him there to draw every one's attention to
himself!

At first Lars went right on with his auctioneering, but he kept an
eye on Jan of Ruffluck until the later had made his way to the
front. There was no fear of Johannes of Portugallia remaining in
the background! He shook hands with everybody and spoke a few
pleasant words to each and all, at the same time pushing ahead
until he had reached the very centre of the ring.

But the moment Jan was there Lars Gunnarsom jumped down from the
table, rushed up to him, snatched his imperial cap and stick and
was back in his place before Jan had time to think of offering
resistance.

Then Jan cried out and tried to climb up onto the table to get back
the stolen heirlooms, but immediately Lars raised the stick to him
and forced him